Salvation

The essence of the Christian message is that God is the sovereign ruler of all creation. Unlike human leaders who may be corrupt or self-serving, God reigns with goodness, love, and justice, continually providing for His creation.

God’s authority comes from being the creator of everything. He is the origin of all existence, including our beautiful world. This is His creation, and He governs it.

Humanity was uniquely created by God, given the responsibility to oversee and care for His world. We are called to rule it responsibly, honor Him as our sovereign, and express gratitude for His generous provision.

So…

• God is the creator of the world.
• God created mankind to rule the good world and glorify Him.
• Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created. (Revelation 4:11)

This is how God created things to be. But it’s fairly obvious that this is not our experience of the world now. What happened?

All the problems in our lives and in the world trace back to humanity’s choice to reject God as our ruler. From the start, we chose to defy Him and live according to our own desires.

This is a common behavior for all of us. Often, we ignore God or keep Him at a distance, living our lives on our own terms. We fail to thank Him for His generosity as our creator and provider, and we don’t honor or obey Him as our ruler. Instead, we pursue our own desires and set our own values, whether religious, secular, or a combination.

The Bible refers to this rebellious attitude as “sin,” and it affects everyone, regardless of religious affiliation.

We live in a world full of “little gods,” each of us trying to impose our own will and way of life. It’s no wonder this approach fails. Our self-centeredness leads to suffering and causes harm to ourselves, others, and the world around us.

So…

• We have all rejected God because of our sin and desire to control our own lives.
• This damages ourselves, others, and the world.
• We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all. (Isaish 53:6)

The question is: what will God do about our rebellion against him?

Every problem in our lives and in the world stems from humanity’s decision to reject God as our ruler. From the beginning, we chose to go our own way and defy Him.

This behavior is typical for all of us. We often ignore God or keep Him at arm’s length, preferring to live by our own rules. We fail to acknowledge His generosity as our creator and provider, and we don’t honor or obey Him. Instead, we follow our own desires and establish our own values, whether they are religious, secular, or a mix of both.

The Bible calls this rebellious attitude “sin,” and it affects everyone, no matter their religious beliefs.

We inhabit a world filled with “little gods,” each of us trying to enforce our own will and way of life. Unsurprisingly, this approach fails. Our self-centeredness leads to suffering and causes harm to ourselves, others, and the world around us.

So…

• God’s punishment for rebellion is death.
• Mankind cannot rebel against God forever.

This is hard to hear. It means that we are all in deep trouble. But it’s not the end of the story.

God loves the world He created, including us. He didn’t abandon us to face the consequences of our rebellion alone. Instead, He sent His divine Son, Jesus Christ, to save us.

Jesus, unlike us, never rebelled against God. He always honored, thanked, and obeyed God in everything. He did not deserve any judgment or death.

Yet, Jesus chose to die. Despite possessing the divine power to heal the sick and raise the dead, He allowed Himself to be crucified by the Romans. Why?

The astonishing news is that Jesus died as a substitute for us, the rebels. He took upon Himself the judgment and punishment we deserved by dying on the cross in our place. Death is the consequence of rebellion, and He died the death we should have faced.

This grace is entirely unearned. Though we rejected God, His immense love compelled Him to send His Son to die for us.

So…

• For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
• Because of His love, God sent His Son into the world: the man of Jesus Christ.
• Jesus always lived under God’s rule.
• But Jesus took away our punishment by dying in our place.

But that’s not all.

God accepted Jesus’ death as full payment for our sins and raised Him from the dead. Jesus conquered death and became the ruler that humanity was always meant to be.

Jesus, as God’s ruler, has also been appointed as the judge of the world. When He returns on judgment day, He will hold us accountable for our rebellion against God.

However, Jesus is not only the appointed king and judge; He is also the savior from judgment. Because of His death in our place, He offers forgiveness for all our sins, which have already been paid for. We can now begin anew with God, no longer as rebels but as loyal friends, giving Him all thanks and honor.

In this new life Jesus offers, God Himself comes to live within us through His Spirit, allowing us to experience the joy of a new relationship with Him.

When Jesus returns in glory, we can be confident that we will be acceptable to Him—not because we deserve it, but because He took our punishment by dying in our place.

Summary Box:

• Jesus did not stay dead, but instead His Father brought Him back from the dead!
• Jesus conquered death and now He rules the world.
• Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)

Well, where does that leave us? It leaves us with a clear choice between two ways to live.

One way to live is by continuing in rebellion against God—ignoring Him and running our lives our own way. Unfortunately, this is the path many choose.

Living this way leads to God’s inevitable and rightful judgment. Not only do we suffer the harmful consequences of rejecting God in this life, but we also face the grim reality of eternal separation from Him.

However, there is an alternative. If we turn to God, ask for forgiveness, and trust in Jesus as the resurrected ruler and savior, everything changes.

First, God wipes our slate clean. He accepts Jesus’ death as payment for our sins and completely forgives us. He fills our hearts with His Spirit and grants us new life that extends beyond death into eternity. We are no longer rebels but part of God’s family, living under the rule of His Son, Jesus.

There are only two ways to live:

• Our way

• • Rejecting God
  • Living in sin
  • Separated from Him for eternity
  • Facing death and judgment

• God’s new way

• • Submit to Jesus as our King
  • Put our faith in His death and resurrection
  • Be forgiven by God
  • Receive eternal life in relationship with God

So, which way do you want to live?